Waters (NYSE:WAT) Updates Q4 2024 Earnings Guidance

Waters (NYSE:WAT) issued an update on its fourth quarter 2024 earnings guidance on Friday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 3.900-4.100 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 4.090. The company issued revenue guidance of $846.5 million-$862.9 million, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $853.3 million. Waters also updated its FY 2024 guidance to 11.670-11.870 EPS.

Waters Stock Performance

Shares of Waters stock opened at $322.57 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 1.42 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.13, a P/E/G ratio of 6.42 and a beta of 0.95. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $341.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $324.75. Waters has a 12 month low of $234.04 and a 12 month high of $367.21.

Waters (NYSE:WAT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 31st. The medical instruments supplier reported $2.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.55 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $709.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $700.09 million. Waters had a return on equity of 56.81% and a net margin of 20.71%. The business’s revenue was down 4.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.80 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Waters will post 11.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms recently weighed in on WAT. Cfra set a $389.00 price target on Waters in a report on Thursday, October 17th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on Waters from $335.00 to $355.00 and gave the company an “in-line” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Waters in a research note on Tuesday, August 27th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $380.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen increased their price objective on Waters from $325.00 to $363.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 1st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of Waters from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and increased their price target for the company from $355.00 to $415.00 in a research note on Tuesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $342.58.

Waters Company Profile

Waters Corporation provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. It operates through two segments: Waters and TA. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and services high and ultra-performance liquid chromatography, as well as mass spectrometry (MS) technology systems and support products, including chromatography columns, other consumable products, and post-warranty service plans.